White House says Biden-Putin meeting not a reward but good way to manage ties

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Joe Biden's planned meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is not a "reward" for Putin but instead the most effective way to hear directly from him to understand and manage the differences between Washington and Moscow, White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday.

In a briefing, Sullivan told reporters that Biden will also stress the importance of NATO countries' burden sharing and the need for allies to give contributions to alliance exercises and operations. He added that the United States will respond if Russia's "harmful" activities against Washington continue.